Adjustable invalid-mattress.



No. 696,802. Patented Apr. I, I902.

M. DAMBRUN.

ADJUSTABLE INVALID MATTRESS.

(Application filed June "7, 1901. 7

(No Model.)

UNTTTED STATns PATENT Unmet),

MAGGIE DAMBRUN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE INVALlD il/IATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,802, dated April 1,1902.

Application filed June 7, 1901.

To all whom rl'b'may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAGGIE DAMBRUN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Adjustable Invalid-Mattress, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a two-part mattress dividedtransversely near its central portion, the head portion of the mattressbeing provided with a frame which may be supported in an elevatedposition; and in this connection it is my object more specifically toprovide improved means of simple, durable, and inexpensive constructionfor supporting the head-section of the mattress and permanently attachedto the mattress and capable of adjustment to fit any ordinary bed-frame.

A further object is to provide a two-part mattress of this class withmeans of simple, durable, andinexpensive construction whereby the partsare drawn firmly together by springs, so that when the head portion israised and lowered there can be no opening between the parts of themattress, as would be the case if these parts were not connected bysprings.

Afurther object is to provide means for protecting the springs andmattress, so that the mattress-filler will not become entangled with thesprings, and, further, to, provide ,means whereby the bed-springs uponwhich the mattress is placed cannot enter between the parts of themattress.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the mattress,whereby the objects contemplated at attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 shows in perspective the mattress frames,their connecting-springs, and the adjustable support detached from themattress; and Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the complete mattresssupported upon a bed-frame and showing position of parts of the framewithin the mattress by dotted lines. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detailperspective view illustrating a portion of the foot-section of themattress and showing the manner in Serial No- 63,502. (No model.)

which the flap is attached to the under forward surface thereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indi eats a flat metal cross-piece to be securedon the interior of the foot-section of the mattress and to extendtransversely thereof. Fixed to the end portions of the part 10 are therods 11, having their forward ends inclined downwardly to provide loops12, said loops projecting through the end portion of said foot-section.

On the interior of the head-section of the mattress is a flat metalcross-piece 13, and attached thereto are the rods 14 to project towardthe other end of the said head-section, the parts 13 and 14 beingcontained within the head-section of the mattress near its top. Withinthe head-section andbeneath the rods 14 are two rods 15, secured inposition preferably by being sewed to the mattress at one end and eachhaving an elongated loop 16 at its other end passed through the loops12, so that the said rods 15 may slide relative to the rods 11.

A number of contractile springs 17 are placed within the mattress andextend longitudinally thereof from points near the crosspiece 10 topoints near the cross-piece 13. Each of the springs is inclosed in aflexible tube 18, and openings are provided at the inner or meeting endsof the mattress-sections to permit the said springs to pass through fromone section to the other. At each end of each spring is a flexible ropeor Wire 20, and these ropes or wires project through openings in thepieces 10 and 1-3 and also through openings in the ends of the mattress.It is obvious that the tension of the springs may be quickly and easilyregulated by drawing the ropes through openings and then tying knots inthe ropes. At the outer end of each section is a flap 22, fixed at itstop edge to the end of the mattress to overlap the said ropes and hidethem from View.

On the under surface of the foot-section of the mattress, at the innerend thereof, is a flexible flap 23, secured to the inner surface of thefoot-section to extend under the headsection, and on the under surfaceof this flap is a metal plate 24-, and secured to the other end of saidflap is a number of ropes or cords 24, by which the said flap may betied to a portion of the bed springs or frame. In use with this portionof the device it is obvious that the mattress may be used in ahorizontal position in exactly the same manner as the old mattresses,and none of the parts of the mattress-frame will be felt by a personusing the mattress. The meeting ends of the mattresses are both inclinedslightly in a direction from the top downwardly and toward the head ofthe mattress for the purpose of providing a tight joint between themattresses when the head-section is elevated,because when in thisposition the head-section will slightly overlap thefoot-section andbe'inclined, as before described. The top corner of the head-mattressslightly overlaps the top corner of the foot-mattress and forms acontinuous support at the meeting edges of the mattress-sections.

Assuming that it is desired to elevate the head of the mattress, so thatthe person occupying the bed assumes a sitting position, the headportion is raised, in a manner hereinafter described, and supported inits elevated position. The said springs will obviously hold the twoportions of the mattress firmly together, so that there can be noopening at their meeting ends. When the head portion is elevated, therods 11 and 15 will slide relative to each other by means of the loops12 and 16. Then when the head portion of the mattress is again loweredthe flap 23 and the plate 24. will obviously prevent the bed-springs orother parts from entering between the sections of the mattress, so thatthe springs may draw the parts of the mattress firmly together, and bymeans of the ropes the tension of the springs may be so adjusted as tofirmly hold the parts of the mattress together under all conditions.Furthermore, the flexible tubes surrounding the springs will prevent thesprings from becoming entangled with the mattress-filler.

I have also provided means for supporting the head-section of themattress at any point of elevation, as follows: At the outer end of thehead-section,near the under surface thereof, I have placed a cross-piece26, and formed on or fixed to the cross-piece 26 are the arms 27 atright angles to the cross-piece and provided with flanged rollers 28 attheir ends. The said arms 27 are connected by means of a cross-piececomposed of two parts 29 and 30, each of said parts being attached toone of the arms 27 and having their inner ends overlapping. In the part29 is a slot 31, and in the other cross-piece is a set-screw 32 to passthrough said slot, so that the position of the cross-pieces may beadjusted relative to each other and the flanged rollers thereby adjustedto fit the side rails of the bed to which the mattress is applied. Nearthe lower end of each arm 27 is a loop or eye 33, and a chain 34 ispassed through each loop and provided with hooks 35 at each end. One endof each chain is connected with the head-post of the bed by having thechain passed around the head-post and the hook attached to the chain,and the other end of the chain is passed through the loop or eye 33 andthe hook then connected with one of the links of the chain. In practicaluse with this portion of the device and assuming that it is desired toelevate the head portion of the mattress the operator detaches the hooks85 from their connection with the chains, and then by pulling upon thechains the arms 27 are turned to an upright position until they supportthe head-section of the mattress in the desired position. Then the hooksare again connected with the links of the chains at the desired point,and obviously the head-section will be firmly supported in its elevatedposition. To lower the head-section, the operator need only detach thehooks 35,whereupon the headsection will drop and the arms 27 will assumea position parallel with the mattress and the mattress will lie flat inthe horizontal position.

My improved mattress is especially advantageous,because the parts areall permanently attached to the mattress, and so long as the mattress isin a horizontal position none of the parts can be seen and they will notinterfere with the use of the mattress for all ordinary purposes, andyet when desired the head-section may be readily and quickly elevatedand securely supported in its elevated position. Furthermore, thesections of the mattress cannot work apart, and there will be no openingin the section when in any position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In animproved mattress,the combination of independent head and footmattress-sections, and one or more contractile coil-springs passedlongitudinally through both sections, each spring having one endconnected with the head-section and the other connected with thefoot-section, for the purposes stated.

2. In an improved mattress the combination of independent head and footmattress-sections, and one or more contractile coil-springs passedlongitudinally through both sections, and a flexible tube for inclosingeach spring, each spring having one end connected with the head-sectionand the other connected with the foot-section, for the purposes stated.

3. In animproved mattress the combination of head and footmattress-sections, a crosspiece on the interior of each section, one ormore contractile coil-springs passed through both sections in adirection longitudinally of the mattress, flexible ropes attached to theends of the springs and passed through said cross-pieces to the exteriorof the mattress whereby the tension of the springs maybe adjusted.

4. An improved mattress, comprising in combination, independent head andfoot mattress-sections, a cross-piece at the outer end of each section,springs connected with both of the cross-'piecesand passedlongitudinally through the sections, rods in the interior of thefoot-section having loops or eyes projecting through the section at itsinner corners, rods on the interior of the head-section having elongatedloops projecting through the inner corners thereof and slidinglyconnected with the aforesaid loops, for the purposes stated.

5. An improved mattress, comprising in combination, independent head andfoot mattress-sections, a cross-piece at the outer end of each section,springs connected with both of the cross-pieces and passedlongitudinally through the sections, rods in the interior of thefoot-section having loops or eyes projecting through the section at itsinner corners, rods on the interior of the head-section having elongatedloops projecting through the inner corners thereof and slidinglyconnected with the aforesaid loops, and means for adjustably supportingthe head-section at different points of elevation relative to thefootsection.

6. The combination with a two-part mattress divided transversely nearits central portion, the arms-pivotally connected with the outer cornersof the head-section, flanged wheels at the lower ends of the said armsand chains having hooks in their ends connected with the lower endportions of said arms, said hooks being designed to engage the links ofthe chains.

7. The combination with a two-part mattress divided transversely nearits central portion, the arms pivotallyfconnected with the tion, of aflap secured to the inner end portion of the foot-section and means forattaching the forward end of said flap to a part of the bed-frame.

MAGGIE DAMBRUN Witnesses: I r

J. RALPH ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

